Mechanism of the above, broadly-described type is disclosed in U.S. Pat. 4,667,915, of which the present inventor is a co-inventor.
As is discussed in that patent, there are many types of marine instruments which measure water depth, boat speed, temperature and the like which exist today for amateur and/or professional boatsmen. These devices may measure any one of or any combination of speed, depth and temperature. Such devices are sold by the Airmar Technology Corporation of Amherst, N.H., which is assignee of U.S. Pat. 4,667,915 and of the present invention.
The marine instruments are sophisticated electronic devices and while they are not, per se, delicate, they can be damaged if they are struck a hard blow. They are exposed to such damage because they are normally located at or partially below the bottom of the hull of a boat. Often, the instrument is located on the transom of a boat and projects somewhat below the bottom to be sure that it is in a stream of bubble-free water or water which is free of aeration. In many instances, such instruments are used on high-speed boats as, for example, boats capable of obtaining 70 knots. Obviously, should a boat traveling at that speed strike a floating or submerged object, the instrument could be severely damaged or knocked from the boat.
Thus, one of the objects of the invention is to provide means for mounting such instruments on boats so that they will release if they strike a foreign object.
It is another object of the invention to provide a marine instrument mounting mechanism which can readily be reset in the operative position after it has been either intentionally or accidentally moved to an inoperative position.
Another object of this invention is to provide a mounting mechanism which will permit the marine instrument to be moved manually to an inoperative or safer position during the process of storing, launching, or the like.
It is still another object of this invention to provide a marine instrument mounting mechanism which is similar to that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,667,915, and which is less complicated and can be produced for less cost.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a mounting mechanism which is substantially universal and which may accept any one of a plurality of instruments, such as speed, depth, or temperature indicators or combinations thereof.